What is King's fascination with abusing dogs?

[FlakeNoir]

But James!
You poke badgers with spoons!
Watta ya got against poor badgers?

That is an animated cartoon, meant as a joke dealing with the tickling of animals (at least, that's how I interpret it). It does not reflect my opinion regarding animals, and I do not condone animal cruelty.

I'm pretty sure that TBlack's comment was meant as a joke also.
The same as your avatar is...he was just trying to lighten the mood.

Ayuh! It worked for me!

[Tery]

Okay, this may be a bit deeper than Uncle Stevie has thought on it (but, knowing him, maybe not). Dogs symbolize several things: loyalty, trust, a companion, males (dogs=male, cat=female), they can be guides, they can symbolize one's psychic senses. Killing a dog, in this context, may be one way of showing the character's inherent lack of or antipathy toward one of these things.

Then again, I may just be swatting at clouds, here....

[PatInTheHat]

I do not condone animal cruelty.

I don't think you'll find all too many on here who do, as we hunt them down & humanely (yet firmly) euthanize them...it's true!
So then, could ya rub my belly, I mean really, who doesn't like a good belly rub, and I've had such a particularly hard morning...some would say cruel, but let's be honest, I probably deserved it.

[JAMESTHEKINGFAN]

I'm pretty sure that TBlack's comment was meant as a joke also.
The same as your avatar is...he was just trying to lighten the mood.

That's fine, I just stated my reasoning for my avatar because I wanted to make myself clear to anybody who reads the posts above. A few times in my life, people have thought I was being contradictory on some issue or topic, when really it was another matter entirely. So I just wanted to be clear, but you are right however.

[wendymartt]

hey, i am a animal rights leader..and i have not noticed any animal abuse, other than in that particular story..when king mentions something like that...believe me..there is always something backing it up why it happend that way

[JAMESTHEKINGFAN]

Okay, this may be a bit deeper than Uncle Stevie has thought on it (but, knowing him, maybe not). Dogs symbolize several things: loyalty, trust, a companion, males (dogs=male, cat=female), they can be guides, they can symbolize one's psychic senses. Killing a dog, in this context, may be one way of showing the character's inherent lack of or antipathy toward one of these things.

Wow, thanks. I never thought of that. i love this forum--I am learning so much!

[zazibar]

It all boils down to him being a fiction writer. I bet that when he writes these things he is probably just as angry as the person reading it. When you sit down to write a story it will often go in directions you never dream of. All I know about Stephen King is the ways he writes but I do know what it means to be a writer of fiction I can tell you from first hand experience that there are times I am writing a story and something really terrible happens and it was never the original intention. Writing is funny that way.

[JAMESTHEKINGFAN]

All I know about Stephen King is the ways he writes but I do know what it means to be a writer of fiction I can tell you from first hand experience that there are times I am writing a story and something really terrible happens and it was never the original intention. Writing is funny that way.

I am a fiction writer as well; I see what you are saying and agree with you wholeheartedly. It's nice to see another's interpretation with a certain passage of a story, and when the interpretation comes from a fellow author, it really becomes a more concrete image in the mind. Thank you so much for your wonderful insight!

[randallFlaggfan1]

Hi,

Bad people do bad things, and in that one two page section about the dog he tells you everything that you need to know about Greg Stillson.

Long days and pleasant nights

I couldn't have said it better myself. That section is all about getting to know Stillson. Thank you, John!

[KyleKarabekian]

Just got a copy of The Dead Zone on Sunday from Goodwill. I got to the part where the guy is in the apartment, and he just scared his fellow teacher girlfriend. Then I stopped and realized I just read where a Bible salesman beat and killed a dog for no other reason than the dog being territorial and ripping his pants-cuff.

What is with king using so much animal violence? I understand the points of the horror he uses most of the time, but something about cruelty to animals just seems a bit much to me. Any thoughts, especially thoughts that can give me more insight into why this horrible act happens in the book? So far I like the novel—it is very entertaining as a story.

Um, first of all: It's a book. It's not like King is personely going and killing dogs. Ms. Mod is right. I'm not going to repeat her answer.